Waterlife – Max Foundation

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership with about US $203,000 in grant funding. 

Only 42% of Ethiopia’s population has access to clean drinking water with urban areas generally having more access than rural areas. This lack of water access leads to a host a health and safety issues, the latter primarily affecting women and girls who have to go on long journeys to gather water for their families. 

Waterlife is a water startup that increases access to safe and affordable drinking water by rehabilitating non-functioning water pumps, constructing new water points, establishing water kiosks that offer purified water, and strengthening the systems that support their long-term sustainability. Waterlife will focus its activities in the Sidama Region, specifically Aleta Chuko and Shebedino woredas, where non-functional water points have limited household access to clean water. 

The startup has developed WatApp, an app, once operational, will be used for payment, scheduling water deliveries and gathering customer feedback. The app also allows for remote monitoring to ensure water quality. 

The startup has two revenue streams: 

• Rehabilitated water pumps outfitted with smart water monitors to allow for easy fee collection
• Smart water kiosks operated through a franchise model that allow customers to pay via WatApp 

During the partnership period, Waterlife will identify and fix 24 non-functioning water points. The startup will also train government staff on using its app, collective tariffs and the carbon market. The startup will develop a carbon strategy as part of its updated business plan and finance model. 

Between July and December 2025, an external assessment covering 120 water schemes and 400 households was conducted to identify technical, institutional, financial, and community-related factors affecting water point functionality. Based on this assessment, 25 non-functional water schemes were rehabilitated through a collaborative effort involving Waterlife, the Ethiopian Water Technology Institute, and local woreda water offices. These rehabilitated schemes have restored access to clean and safe drinking water for more than 5,000 people. 

In parallel, the partnership is strengthening Waterlife’s financial and institutional capacity. This includes the development of a comprehensive business plan, marketing strategy, and strategic plan by an independent consultant, as well as the design of a carbon market strategy in collaboration with FCF India to explore alternative financing options for sustaining water services. 

The partnership also engages with government, private sector, and development stakeholders through national exhibitions and sector events to increase visibility, strengthen collaboration, and position Waterlife as a scalable private-sector solution for rural water service delivery in Ethiopia. 

Max Foundation is an international nonprofit with deep expertise in supporting entrepreneurs scale innovative water solutions. Max Foundation will help Waterlife identify banks and investors who have invested in the water sector. The nonprofit will also conduct national and regional workshops with Waterlife to influence policy in the water sector. 

Over the next 18 months, Waterlife aims to raise US $75,000 in investment. Through this innovative solution, it will provide full-time jobs to more than 50 people and provide more than 80,000 people with access to safe drinking water. 

The partnership comprises the following partners: Waterlife (lead business partner); Max Foundation (lead administrative partner).